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theirgracegrace's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Death
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Gaslighting
therese_nook68's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5/5 stars
A favorite of the year!
I didn't really know what I was expecting from this book — I knew very little about the plot and the characters and very limited people that I knew had read this book. But I think you should go into it without knowing a lot other than the bare bones of the plot and that there's a lot of build up.
This was such a heartbreaking book and I loved reading about the characters and their personal journeys. I am so emotional over the ending and in some ways, it was a happy ending?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Animal death, Self harm, and Domestic abuse
beckyg1016's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Writing style intentionally mimics the way folklore is orally told, rather than the way novels are typically written - this can take a little getting used to, but it's worth it. (It feels odd, almost choppy, but once you understand the intention, it's very good)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Death
meaghans_library's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Violence, and Sexism
bitterseason's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Misogyny
Minor: Racism
elizlizabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is my first book by SMG and I'm in love with the way she writes, this is exactly what I would've wanted to read as a teen obsessed with urban fantasy. It's obvious and appreciated that the author did her research before writing, plus the love story is woven so beautifully with the actual plot that it's compelling without taking over the action. The ending is bittersweet but so, so satisfactory and the characters and character growth is beyond anything I've read in a while. 5 stars!
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Revisiting after a recent re-read (2022): It is a brilliant story and I love the ending, although the timeline and flow of the story could've done with some editing to make it run seamlessly.
As for the romance, I still think there's something there but at times it can feel forced especially because it tends to fade to the background when not needed for plot purposes. I also think it tends to conflate love with lust but eh that's just me being nitpicky.
I would still recommend it and think it's great for people who like urban fantasy but would like to see other mythologies represented.
----------------------
Revisiting after a recent re-read (2022): It is a brilliant story and I love the ending, although the timeline and flow of the story could've done with some editing to make it run seamlessly.
As for the romance, I still think there's something there but at times it can feel forced especially because it tends to fade to the background when not needed for plot purposes. I also think it tends to conflate love with lust but eh that's just me being nitpicky.
I would still recommend it and think it's great for people who like urban fantasy but would like to see other mythologies represented.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Blood, Murder, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
shadereads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Suicide
crystalisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno Garcia is a beautiful story, full of duality. Both bitter and sweet, fully fantastical, and yet firmly grounded in reality, full of Mayan deities and Jazz age Mexican humans, demons and magical creatures and tedious chores and impossible dreams. Moreno-Garcia allows us to hope impossible dreams along with the gods and humans who dream them, even though we know we cannot have them, and to break our hearts a little with theirs when we cannot have them. I’ve struggled to read consistently in this year of our pandemic 2020, but read this pretty consistently once I started, and found myself fully engrossed every time I picked it back up.
The world building is rich yet not tedious. The author manages to introduce readers to Mayan mythology and Jazz Age Mexico in vivid, rich detail that never bogs down or bores, never dumps lengthy passages of information on the reader. Instead, we learn as we are are compelled to follow, much like the practical dreamer Casiopea is, one of the twin Mayan gods of Death, Hun-Kame, as he seeks to reclaim his stolen throne in the Underworld. Along the way we experience both rural and urban Jazz Age Mexican culture, and see the effects of American culture on it, with flappers and music and technology. We meet demons and undead and monsters and flawed humans. Everyone is flawed and complex in this story, from Casiopea’s cruel and selfish family, to undead seductresses, to corrupt wizards, to friendly demons, to traitorous deities, to Casiopea herself. No one is perfectly good or perfectly evil, and the story is richer for it.
The relationship that builds between Casiopea and Hun-kame is electrifying and beautiful and sweet and sad. No human can truly love the god of death, can they? Nor can a god of death return that love. And yet we hope, because their relationship is so beautiful and so real. I feared the ending of this story, because bittersweet stories aren’t my usual preference, but like the rest of this book, the ending was perfect, everything it should be, deeply satisfying and perfectly aligned with the rest of the story.
In a year when I struggle to read, and often find myself underwhelmed by even much-anticipated books, Gods of Jade and Shadow stands out from the crowd as a fantastic book. Effortlessly diverse, beautifully written, deeply emotional, and always engaging. I am extremely grateful to #NetGalley and Random House Publishing for sharing a free digital #advancedcopy of #GodsofJadeandShadow with me in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Colonisation and Death of parent
yellow_star's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a 20's era retelling of a Mayan-Mexican folktale. It is set up as a paranormal romance as well, but if you read this expecting romance norms you will be disappointed. It also doesn't follow the standard format of a hero's journey, but I was okay with that being different. I felt at the end of the book that the main character's story was not done, the book ended kind of on a cliffhanger and I'm frustrated with it now. I love the glossary at the end of the book to explain some unique terms in it. I might have enjoyed it if I'd grown up with the story as a kid and were experiencing a new angle on a familiar story. It is a good story, even though it's not the type I like, so I'm still rating it 3.
When I started reading I was concerned it would be too dark or creepy for me- it is about a god of death- but it's not particularly intense. Check content warnings.
All characters are the same race and sexuality and lack disability, that is not diverse to me.
the entire book they are leading up to her being romantically or friendship connected with him, but instead the author throws that all out the door. It was frustrating to have a romance break up like this- these things happen in real life, but normally not in books!
When I started reading I was concerned it would be too dark or creepy for me- it is about a god of death- but it's not particularly intense. Check content warnings.
All characters are the same race and sexuality and lack disability, that is not diverse to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Murder
dariaklind's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I liked the premise but unfortunately did not enjoy the books as much as I was meaning to. I liked the main character but I wish we got more of the side characters because it felt like they didn't have enough depth to me. Also, wasn't the biggest fan of the romance. Usually I like "the Death and the Maiden" trope but here it felt underwhelming and developed too fast. Nonetheless, I liked the mythological aspect and it was a fun adventure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexism